


Why men go to war

by sloganeer



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-08
Updated: 2007-06-08
Packaged: 2017-10-06 03:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sloganeer/pseuds/sloganeer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nobody sleeps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why men go to war

The Wraith are less than a day away, and it's time for McKay's hourly berating. John wouldn't miss this for anything.

Rodney's standing up on a table in the middle of the central lab when John finds him. From the crowd, it looks like everyone in Atlantis with a doctorate was invited. Which explains why John didn't get word of the meeting.

"Nobody sleeps," Rodney is yelling. He's lost his uniform jacket, the t-shirt's zipper is pulled all the way down, and John can see the wet spots under his arms. "Nobody sleeps until after the Wraith suck the life out through your chest."

He spots John then at the back of the crowd, and raises a hand to gesture to the back of the room.

"Or until I give Major Sheppard permission to kill you."

The crowd of heads turn to gape. John smiles, and gives them all a wave.

"Eyes front, people." Rodney's waving now, too, and the crowd turns again. "OK, you have your instructions. You know where you're supposed to be. All questions should be directed to Dr. Zelenka because it's been a week since the coffee ran out, and I won't be held responsible for my actions."

The scientists scatter, and John has to weave through the crowd to get to Rodney's table.

"Major!" Rodney calls out. "Over here." In the chaos, the voice is a beacon.

"Nice speech, Rodney," John says when he finds him. "Atlantis is uplifted, I can tell."

"Tell me you're bringing news of a super-dooper Wraith-killing weapon you found under your bed."

"I thought your scientists were in charge of exploring."

"Your marines handle the artillery around here, Major."

Using John's shoulder as support, Rodney steps down from the table, before leaning back onto it. John hops up, too, and they sit there together, legs dangling over the edge.

"Has it really been a week since coffee?" John asks. Rodney makes a strangled noise in his throat. He falls back onto the table, arms spread, and mutters to himself. John can really see those stains under his arms now. It's also been a week since Rodney's last clean shirt.

The scientists have cleared the room, hiding out in their own labs, the gateroom, the jumper bay, anywhere McKay isn't. Even Zelenka, sitting across the room behind four laptops, gives John something of a look.

"C'mon."

"Wha--" Rodney's question is cut short when John grabs his wrist, and pulls him off the table. He tries to twist away when they get outside, but the halls are empty. Rodney lets John lead them into a transporter, out, and into another empty hall. Any room will do; nobody's in their quarters right now. John picks a door, and Atlantis opens it willingly.

The lights come on immediately, and Rodney jumps. Their hands fall apart.

"Sorry," Rodney says, before he steps away to take a look at the room.

It's one of the smaller ones. The bed is unmade, and, on the wall, there's one of those Farrah Fawcett posters. Rodney sees it, too, because he turns back to smirk at John.

"Military," he says. John shrugs.

Rodney steps closer to examine the bed, then chooses to stand. He crosses his arms, and glares at John.

"Is there a purpose to this little adventure? Something you need to tell me?" He gestures back to the wall. "Or Farrah? I'm sure she's a great listener."

John laughs, even though it isn't really funny. But it's been too quiet all day, like Atlantis only just figured out what they're up against. It's been even longer since Rodney actually attempted a joke, so John gives him the laugh for free.

They were supposed to have more time. John was going to make Rodney love flying, and Rodney was finally going to stump him with prime numbers. John was even looking forward to where it was going from there.

"I was going to tell you a lot of things," John says because Rodney is starting to stare. "I wasn't going to tell you all at once, of course, but we may not have that kind of time, and--"

"John."

That makes him stop. More than anything, that means they're not going to make it.

"And I was thinking," John continues, with Rodney's eyes stuck on his, "that, instead of agonising, we'd just say it right now, and then maybe we can get back to saving Atlantis."

John takes a breath, and waits for Rodney to catch up.

"And if--"

"When," John corrects him.

"If we can save Atlantis, what do we do with our deathbed confessions?"

"Rodney, when you save Atlantis, it's gonna make being in love with you a hell of a lot easier."

"Oh." He takes a stumbling step backwards, and ends up on the unknown marine's messy bed. "Huh."

It's not all that much of a reaction, but Rodney's looking up at John, and his mouth is straightening into a smile, and John knows that if he took those few steps, and fell into Rodney with a kiss, he would not be unwelcome.

John gets it now. This is why men go to war.


End file.
